Van Morrison

"I do not need drugs or alcohol in order to experiment. They give fake ecstasy '. Van Morrison

. Irish mystic with a stunning voice, a lover of jazz and rhythm & blues, one of the most gifted musicians of his time, Van Morrison (full name George Ivan, Morrison) was born August 31, 1945 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Three-year baby Morrison first heard the music on the family gramophone - they were the gospel hymns performed by Mahalia Jackson.

In 13 years, Morrison began to learn to play guitar on the book Alan Lomax 'Folk Guitar ". This, he said, helped to overcome an innate shyness. The first group, which he organized, called the Sputniks, however, after a while he said the desire to work with more senior guys from the Monarchs. The group already had a guitarist, but remained free place saxophonist - Morrison had no choice but to learn quickly how to play the new instrument for himself. When three weeks later he showed how wields a saxophone, it was immediately accepted.

Group professing R & B and soul music, toured Scotland and England, recorded a single in Germany and imploded. But Morrison has been a good experience vocals, saxophone and harmonica. On his return to Belfast, Morrison joined the band Them, local Unique, playing R & B. Together with them he recorded several singles, including his composition "Here Comes The Night", was incorporated in the British top ten hits. However, after the release of two albums Them, Morrison was disappointed in the music business and retired.

. Produced by Bert Berns, who worked with Them, heard about Morrison's refusal, sent him an invitation to New York along with the airline ticket to record a solo disc. Morrison accepted the offer. The first solo single called "Brown-Eyed Girl", but after his release, Morrison did not want to work with Bert on, and they parted. Nevertheless, quirky producer has released CD-session recordings Morrison's "Blowing Your Mind", which includes eight songs, and on the cover psychedelic painting. Morrison was furious, and not just because the disc was released without his permission, but because of the fact that the thought unfinished songs, besides, he did not like the cover, making it a party to the motion of "free love". To appease the star, Burns proposed to publish a collection "The Best Of Van Morrison", the album, which subsequently Morrison also hated it, considering it the worst collection of his works.

. Morrison finally terminated kontarkt with Burns and moved to Warner Brothers. In 1968 he entered the studio with multiple-session jazz musicians and recorded "Astral Weeks" in just a few days. It was this album, which both sounded really his tremendous voice, gave him status as one of the most creative personalities of his time, in addition, the disk is constantly cited by critics in the top ten best albums of the year.

The albums - "Moondance" (1970) and "His Band and Street Choir" (1971) - introduced in the R & B pipes and female backing vocals, while "Tupelo Honey" (1971) and "St. Dominic's Preview "(1972) were a mixture of folk and country music in the Irish style. In addition, Morrison's life more streamlined with his marriage to Janet Planet, hippies, whom he met in San Francisco. Morrison believed that Janet will be his spiritual helper, but he was mistaken - she had a completely different outlook on life. The girl was very sociable and constantly made fun of Morrison's desire to the village isolation. In the end, after five years of marriage fell apart, which could not affect the creative musician. Album "Hard Nose The Highway" (1973) was the failed both commercially and creatively; "Veedon Fleece" (1974) did not find its audience and also failed. After such failures, Morrison disappeared for three years, in 1977, he returned with the album "Period Of Transition", but the final "rehabilitation" received with the release of "Into The Music" (1979).

Spirituality has always been the most important component of creativity Morrison. His experience includes religious Scientology passion that inspired Morrison's on the album "Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart" (1983), however, he always said he is "Christian music". His best years were "No Guru, No Method, No Teacher" (1986) and "Enlightenment" (1990). In 1997, Morrison released an album "The Healing Game", which was recognized as one of the greatest works musician.